Consumers Are Looking to the Source

RAPAPORT... When it comes to responsible sourcing, says Monica
Stephenson, “diamonds are a tricky subject.” Stephenson is the founder of Anza
Gems, which purchases colored gems directly from East African artisanal miners
and gives a portion of its sales back to the mining communities.

Of course, there are plenty of ways to ensure responsible
sourcing of natural diamonds. Aside from the Kimberley Process — which has been
criticized in the past, but does provide assurance that diamonds have
non-conflict origins — organizations like the Diamond Development Initiative
are bringing diamonds directly from artisanal and small-scale miners to
consumers in a way that benefits the mining communities.

De Beers, through its sightholder system and its Forevermark
brand, offers additional safeguards. Each Forevermark diamond has a numerical
inscription attesting to the responsible sourcing of the gem.

Meanwhile, Rio Tinto runs mine-of-origin programs at both
Diavik and Argyle, where the polished is directly traced to the mine and country.
Argyle issues an Argyle Pink Diamonds Gem Identification & Authenticity
document for every diamond over 0.15 carats. As for Canadian diamonds, they come
with Maple Leaf and CanadaMark engravings.

However, diamonds do come from many sources, and it requires
a lot of work to determine whether those sources are ethical ones. “You really
want to look for a vendor with a documented chain of custody from the mine,
through the cutting process, to the retailer’s hands,” says Stephenson. “There
are companies out there providing this, but they are often not your typical
diamond dealers. Ask for documentation.”

In lieu of these options, she recommends that retailers ask
designers and manufacturers where their materials are sourced. “Look for
designers working with responsible materials so you can represent that jewelry
to your customers with confidence,” she says. “At some point, it comes down to
trust between you and your vendor, and between you and your customers [that you
will] deliver what you are promising.”

Canadian authenticity

Toronto-based jewelry designer Shelly Purdy has used
Canadian diamonds exclusively since 2000. “I was excited, because being a
Canadian designer, I wanted Canadian content in my work,” she says. “I focus on
diamond engagement rings, and using Canadian diamonds was important to me.”

In doing so, she continues, she has “an authentic Canadian
story to go along with my work. I think it’s important to look at the
provenance of a stone. For the diamond industry to become stronger, the
consumer needs to trust us, and we need to make the information available.”

Lester Oehler, CEO of wholesale manufacturer and designer
Toby Pomeroy, agrees that Canadian diamonds are the best option today, but says
there are limitations to the supply. The company’s founder, Toby Pomeroy, is a
pioneer in responsibly sourced gold and platinum.

However, determining the provenance of diamonds outside of
Canada has been a greater challenge, Oehler says. “We wish we had nice, easy,
clean criteria to draw from, but we don’t have that much. We don’t do enough
volume for it to be a huge issue. We just try to find the most traceable we
can.”

It’s important that retailers at least make a sincere effort
to show they care how their products are sourced, he stresses. “They should
have something in their shop so when the pickiest person comes for something
where the metal or diamond is traceable, you can really tell a story about it.
If they know you’re making an effort, it makes a big difference.”

Skeptical on synthetics

On the subject of lab-grown stones, some, such as
Stephenson, have been skeptical about their marketing pitch. “Synthetic diamond
companies have done this marketing job, saying they are the ultimate answer to
sustainable engagement rings, but we have to be careful not to eliminate an
entire continent as a diamond source [by replacing African mining with synthetics],”
she says. “As someone who has been in mining communities, I’ve seen the
benefits of mining firsthand. We should work on improving artisanal mining
conditions, but mining is not inherently bad, and synthetics are not
necessarily the only alternative.”

She also expresses doubt about the carbon footprint of
lab-grown diamonds. Although the companies claim to be “carbon neutral,” that
just means they are funding low-emissions projects to offset their own
emissions, she argues. “And what is the environmental impact of that versus a
mined diamond?”

Image: ForevermarkThis article was first published in a special supplement produced in collaboration with the Diamond Producers Association.